Megacles shrank away from him, though the fear was fleeting, for the reality of the situation left it unwarranted. He stared at Cylon with what appeared to be genuine sympathy and regret. “I fear, my friend, that before this day is out, you will be dead, along with all those who follow you.”
9 |
Athens International Airport
Spata, Greece
Present Day
Acton waved from the top of the steps of their private jet, a Gulf V that was part of a lease-share network that Laura had been a member of for years. Her wealth was staggering, much of it inherited upon the death of her brother, an Internet tycoon who had sold while the getting was good. The rest came from the wise stewardship of her windfall and their reasonable lifestyle.
There were no mansions in their life, no fancy cars beyond the Porsche she had inherited.
But there was always first-class travel and a lot of it, good food and drink, and generosity shown to their friends and family, as well as their students.
None of their students would be left behind for lack of family money on their digs—anonymous donations always arrived just in time.
As he descended the steps, he looked for Antoniou’s constant companion, Juno, but didn’t see her.
“My friends, welcome, welcome!” Antoniou held out his arms and Acton joined him in an exuberant embrace and double-cheek kiss. “I trust your flight was good?” He eyed the jet. “I suppose it must have been.”
Acton laughed. “It was. As you can see, I married well.”
“Indeed!” Antoniou shook Laura’s hand. “Professor Palmer, it is indeed an honor.”
Laura smiled. “Laura, please.” She turned, holding out a hand toward Tommy and Mai. “May I present Mr. Tommy Granger and Miss Mai Trinh, both graduate students at James’ university.”
Antoniou shook their hands. “A pleasure.”
Acton gave Mai a wink. “I hope you don’t mind we brought them, but without our servants, life is just unbearable.”
Antoniou stared at him for a moment, then at the two youngsters. “I, umm, I…”
Acton burst out laughing, slapping the man on his back. “You should see your face, my friend. I’m just kidding of course. Now, where is Juno? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the two of you apart.”
“You’ll see her soon.” Antoniou urged them toward the waiting SUV, and they all climbed in, Acton in the passenger seat. Antoniou held up his left hand, revealing a wedding band. “You should know that she is now my wife.”
Acton grinned. “I had a suspicion there was something there. The way she looked at you was always with total devotion. I knew she loved you five years ago.”
Antoniou sighed as he started the engine. “It took me a little longer to realize the truth, and once I did, I realized I loved her too. The age difference is a little ridiculous, twenty years, but I’m nearly sixty now, she’s almost forty. Kids are behind us both, and, well, it just made sense. We finally realized we were both lonely souls who were spending almost every waking hour together, and happy doing so. Why not every sleeping hour as well?”
Tommy offered up a fist bump. “Professor!”
The women in the car glared at him, Acton giving him a bemused expression, the fist slowly lowering.
Antoniou stared at the young man for a moment, not sure what to do, then smiled, bumping the fist. “You’re right, I am a lucky man!” He returned his attention to the road. “I can’t wait for you to see her. I know she’s looking forward to seeing you again, Jim, and is eager to meet you as well, Professor—sorry, Laura.”
“I’m looking forward to it as well.” Laura placed a hand on Tommy’s still extended arm, forcing it back into his lap. His chin dropped onto his chest as his cheeks flushed.
“Listen, I have a confession to make.”
Everyone turned toward Antoniou, including the butterflies forming in Acton’s stomach. “I don’t think I like the sound of that.”
“It’s nothing serious, nothing dangerous, but I don’t know who I can trust.”
Acton exchanged a concerned glance with Laura. “I really don’t like the sound of that. How about you stop teasing it out, and just tell us everything.”
Antoniou nodded, inhaling deeply. “You’re right, of course. There have been a series of thefts at the dig site. Minor items, but historically significant nonetheless. We are talking items that are thousands of years old, many of them remarkably preserved.”
“Do you know who’s behind it?”
Antoniou shook his head. “No. It’s a massive dig site, as you know, but due to budget limitations, we’re concentrating on the recent discovery we made.”
“The chained together bodies.”
“Yes. We have a few guards, but they are spread thin, and other than the odd supplier that delivers us things, it is mostly government personnel and grad students from our university. And even then, we’re talking barely a few dozen people.” He sighed. “Oh, to have the money we used to have. My friend, Greece is a very different place today. We were foolish, trying to be a socialist state in a capitalist world. Can you believe how few people paid their taxes?” He shook his head. “We were idiots, and now we’re paying the price, and will be for at least a generation.”
Acton felt sorry for the man. Antoniou was a hard worker, certainly not one of the freeloaders that some of the Greek population had become, and now because of those people, his life’s work was suffering.
When people were asked to sacrifice so much to get back on track, there was little tolerance for money going to the sciences, especially archaeology, where something could simply be sealed back up and looked at in another decade or two, when the money was flowing again.
But this discovery was too important to be left unstudied, and now that the world knew it existed, thieves would descend upon it should it be left for another day.
Perhaps we can help with a small donation.
“So why do you need us?”
“I need people I can trust, even if only for a few days. Juno and I are exhausted. We’ve been taking shifts, staying at the site every hour of every day, at least one of us, and we’re reaching our breaking point. And despite this, items continue to disappear.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry for getting you here under false pretenses, my friend, but would you have come if I told you the truth?”
Tommy grunted. “Knowing these two, they probably would have been here quicker.”
Acton laughed, leaning back and giving Tommy a gentle punch to the shoulder as the others joined in. “Too true! Too true!” He turned back to Antoniou. “If things are so dire, perhaps we should go there right away.”
Antoniou brightened at the suggestion. “Would you mind? I hated leaving her alone there.” He frowned. “Something is wrong, I know it, and I just don’t know who I can trust besides her, and those in this vehicle.”
Acton patted him on the shoulder. “Then get a little heavy on that pedal.”
Antoniou glanced at him as the car accelerated. “I didn’t want to scare anyone.”
Acton laughed. “We’ve all driven with Laura. Trust me, there’s nothing you can do that could scare us.”
Antoniou proved him wrong.
10 |
Temple of Athena, The Acropolis
City of Athens
632 BC
Cylon frowned as the sun faded, torches beginning to light around their sanctuary. “At least I was right about more coming.”
Basileios nodded, apparently choosing to ignore Cylon’s tone. “True, and some of them are even here to support us. If we can hold out long enough, we still might win. I know some of those that are here. I’ve been watching. They are working the crowd, and have been winning some of them over.”
Cylon resisted the temptation to give in to the hope Basileios was suggesting existed. It was too late. More guards now surrounded them, and even soldiers belonging to some of the other aristocratic families had arrived, and were definitely not there to s
upport him.
This was a lost cause.
And he didn’t know what to do.
He had already been told that they all faced death for their actions. He couldn’t care less if he were put to death, but it tormented him terribly to think the others would suffer the same fate.
It wasn’t fair.
It wasn’t reasonable.
“Give me a moment.”
Cylon strode from the safety their sanctuary provided, and approached the archons, now joined by several heads of the aristocratic families. He exchanged greetings with them, then turned his attention to Megacles.
“Are you still steadfast in your resolve to see us all dead?”
Cylon enjoyed the uncomfortable reaction from Megacles as the new arrivals stared at him in shock, evidently not aware of the sentence already pronounced upon those who would dare rebel.
“Is this true, Megacles? Have you already sentenced these people to death?”
And with that one indignant question from Lykos, a man Cylon respected tremendously, he knew he had just bought his people a chance at life.
“Well, I, umm, was merely interpreting the law as I understood it.”
Lykos growled. “The law should not be absolute. It should allow for some flexibility. Has anyone died here today?”
Megacles shook his head. “No, but only for the fact no one supported Cylon and his people.”
“How can you know that? Are you a seer who can see what might have been? Are you the next high priestess of Delphi?”
Snickers surrounded them, a slight smile escaping Cylon’s tight control of his emotions.
“You insult me, sir.”
“And you insult us all by proclaiming judgment upon these people before hearing their case.” Lykos shook his head, turning to Cylon. “Cylon, my boy, I cannot condone what you have done here today. I fear my house would have opposed your attempt at power. But I know charismatic men, and the affect they can have on weaker minds, and you, my boy, are one of the most charismatic men I have ever known. Those that support you should not be put to death for following you. Yes, they should be punished, harshly perhaps, but not slaughtered for falling sway to the words of a man such as yourself.” He stepped closer. “Are you willing to die for your actions here today?”
Cylon’s stomach flipped as he realized he was about to be given the out he so desperately wanted for his people. “I am.”
“And you are willing to accept full responsibility for the actions of all those you hold sway to?”
Cylon’s chest swelled as he squared his shoulders. “I am.”
Lykos patted him on the arm. “As I suspected you would.” He turned to the archons. “I think then we have our solution. Cylon and his followers will surrender, accompany us to the court for trial, and he will accept full responsibility for the events of this troubling day. In exchange for his life, the others will serve a sentence acceptable to the court, that does not include death.”
“Or banishment.”
Lykos glanced at Cylon, then nodded. “Or banishment. We want these people to return to their former positions of honor, having been shown that the current leadership of our great city is both merciful and wise, and not in need of violent replacement.” Lykos paused, looking about at the others. “Are we all agreed?”
Heads bobbed, though Megacles’ remained frozen in place, long enough that Cylon feared he might scuttle the entire deal.
Then he sighed audibly. “Very well.”
Cylon smiled, extending a hand. “I thank you, Archon Eponymous Megacles. It is clear that I was mistaken in my belief that you and your fellow archons should be, shall we say, replaced.”
Megacles chuckled, taking the hand. “I wonder if the roles were reversed, would you be showing me the mercy I now show you.”
Cylon squeezed the hand slightly tighter. “Fortunately, we will never know.”
11 |
Phaleron Delta Necropolis
Athens, Greece
Present Day
Acton was giddy and tense at the same time. The excitement of seeing the massive necropolis, combined with his concerns over the thefts, had him a bundle of nerves. It was bad enough they almost always got themselves into trouble when they ventured outside their home, it was worse knowing there already was a problem.
Minor thefts. Nothing to worry about.
And he might have believed that if it weren’t for the expression creasing Professor Juno Galanos’ face as she exchanged a hug with her husband. Acton shook her hand.
“Juno, it’s so good to see you again. I understand congratulations are in order.”
She smiled weakly. “Yes, and to you as well.”
Antoniou stared at his wife with concern. “You seem troubled, my love.”
She threw up her hands, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry. I’m a terrible host, but we just discovered another artifact missing.”
A loud, long sigh escaped from Antoniou. “What now?”
“A pair of shackles.”
Antoniou cursed. “That’s the third pair now, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “And if we don’t find out who’s behind this, it won’t be the last.” She lowered her voice. “If we don’t get a handle on this soon, we’ll lose control of the site.”
Antoniou shook his head. “If we let the government run this operation, it will be a fiasco.”
Acton surveyed the area. “I thought this was being managed by the government already?”
“It is, on paper. They oversee everything officially, and manage the budget, what little of it there is. But the actual scientific work is being managed by us through the university.”
“But if we can’t keep what we discover from being stolen, they’ll take that over too.” Juno pulled at her short hair. “I don’t know what to do about it.”
Laura gestured toward the front gate they had passed through moments ago. “You have guards. How are they getting past?”
A burst of air erupted from Juno’s mouth. “They’re useless. Minimum wage, no weapons. They don’t care. Besides, there are too few of them to cover an area this large. And they’re always taking small items. Unless we’re willing to have full body searches, and vehicles torn apart at the end of every day, there’s no way to stop them. We just don’t have the manpower.”
Acton frowned. “Could the guards be behind it?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. We don’t let them into the site itself. Their job is to guard the perimeter.” She lowered her voice. “I think it’s someone on the inside. It has to be.”
Antoniou put an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “I fear my wife is right, and it makes me sick to my stomach to think that someone, an academic, could be behind these thefts, but…”
“Can you hire more guards?” asked Mai.
“Or concentrate them all at the gate at the end of the day for the searches you were mentioning?” suggested Tommy.
Juno shook her head. “No, we just don’t have the budget, and if we repositioned the guards, anyone could just toss something over the fence and pick it up later.”
“Surely the government could free up some funds to protect such an important site.”
Antoniou appeared embarrassed as he replied to Laura. “We, umm, haven’t told them.”
Acton nodded. “Because you’re afraid they’ll take over.”
“Exactly. Things are bad in Greece, and have been for years. There simply isn’t any money to spare. I fear they’ll close us down completely and wait for more money. We’ve held them off for now, and as long as we keep producing, and publishing, I think we’ll be fine. But if word got out about these thefts? We’d be finished.”
“What about private donations?” asked Laura, Acton giving her a slight smile, knowing where this was heading.
“We are receiving some, just enough to keep us with supplies and students when the funding falls short, but it’s not enough, not for large items like security.”
“
Perhaps we can help.”
Antoniou stared at her, aghast. “Absolutely not! I invited you here for advice, not for money.”
Laura laughed. “Don’t give it a second thought. We could help fund your dig until the government comes through.”
Antoniou shook his head. “No, we’re making do. It’s just this security issue that’s the real problem. We don’t know how to deal with it.”
Laura smiled. “Well, it just so happens I know someone.”
12 |
Temple of Athena, The Acropolis
City of Athens
632 BC
“This is insanity.”
Cylon smiled gently at Basileios. “No, it is reality. We’re not getting the support of the people, as we had hoped.” He patted his friend on the shoulder. “You were right. I misinterpreted the prophecy, and in my own arrogance, acted too soon. But only I should pay for that mistake, not you. The archons have agreed that only I shall die for what occurred here today. You will all be punished, but you will survive, and will not be banished. Lykos himself said you should return to your former positions.” He stared at those surrounding him. “It is a good compromise. Better than any of us could have expected.”
Reluctant nods finally appeared from his friends, but Basileios was having none of it. “Nonsense. We were all willing to die, and I for one still am. And do you truly trust Megacles? He’s one of the prime reasons we decided to take action. The moment we leave these walls, the moment we are no longer under the protection of our goddess, he will order his men to strike.” He shook his head vehemently. “No, you must survive. You are our leader, and there is no doubt the Oracle meant that you were to lead the people. Our only mistake was on what day to act, not whether or not we should act. You are destined to lead Athens, though perhaps not today. And if it is to be another day, then you must survive to see it.”
Cylon stared at his friend. “What are you saying? That I break the deal I just made and abandon you all like a coward?”
The Cylon Curse Page 4